Going Vegan for the first time tips

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Beautiful_Warrior94
Beautiful_Warrior94 Posts: 197 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I'm already a Vegetarian however really do want to become Vegan. My fiancé is a strict meat eater, he loves meat. I won't force himself to follow my direction because it's my choice and it's his. I won't force anyone to become Vegan with me. I'm also a housekeeper and runner and go to community college if that all helps.

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  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
    edited December 2015
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    Read up... educate yourself about nutrients that you need and where to get them. Many people I've known who go vegan don't do so and end up malnourished because of it.

    I've been vegan for a decade now and no problems... but I take the time to learn what I need, how to recognize symptoms of needed vitamins or minerals and eat to fulfill that, and regular tests of blood and hormone by my doctor.

    Vegan isn't hard, despite what I seem to hear from others... but it is best accomplished with some knowledge in hand.

    ETA:

    Here are some good links to start.

    http://www.veganhealth.org/
    http://vegweb.com/
    https://www.vegansociety.com/resources
    http://www.nomeatathlete.com/50-vegetarian-resources/
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,592 Member
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    here are some vegan recipe blogs to check out
    http://ohsheglows.com/
    http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/
    http://www.veganricha.com/
    http://veganyackattack.com/
    http://www.forkandbeans.com/
    http://hellyeahitsvegan.com/
    http://mywholefoodlife.com/
    http://www.fragrantvanilla.com/
    http://www.hotforfoodblog.com/
    more helpful links:
    http://www.peta.org.au/news/accidentally-vegan/
    http://veganessentials.com/


    start doing some research and get use to reading the ingredient label of products (unless they specially have a V or vegan symbol on them)

    get to know the natural section of your grocery store that is where you will find a lot of the special vegan stuff ...there are so many options seriously so much its exciting .

    I suggest joining maybe a facebook vegan group in your area and also you can join the vegan groups on this site

    also youtube is great lots of awesome vegan videos some of my favourite vegan youtubers : the vegan corner,CookingWithPlants,Mary's Test Kitchen ,hot for food, the edgy veg,eco vegan gal,happy healthy vegan
  • Beautiful_Warrior94
    Beautiful_Warrior94 Posts: 197 Member
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    Wow thank you guys for the links. I will definitely be checking them out. I'm looking up Vegan videos on YouTube as well
  • bexrox
    bexrox Posts: 8 Member
    edited December 2015
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    I am following the guidelines laid out at www.drmcdougall.com and am thrilled with my progress. The only supplements I take are b12 and d (since it's getting dark) and I am doing great. Definitely eat a variety of whole foods to ensure you are getting all the nutrients you need and you'll be fine. :smile:
  • TrickyDisco
    TrickyDisco Posts: 2,869 Member
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    I read up about and got an adequate source of B12, take a daily multivitamin/minerals which includes this (tops up a few minerals I may not be getting enough of, like zinc, selenium and potassium) but you can get a B12 supplement only if you want. I eat a wide variety of foods including all colours of fruit and veg, don't miss dairy as there's some equally tasty plant-based alternatives available now.
  • jessypug
    jessypug Posts: 142 Member
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    I second what everyone has said about nutrients! And add a bunch of people of here with open diaries, I find that helps with meal inspiration!
  • Beautiful_Warrior94
    Beautiful_Warrior94 Posts: 197 Member
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    The only thing I am working on cutting out is some foods with milk products.
  • ryjaaah
    ryjaaah Posts: 85 Member
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    Good Luck! :3
  • gems74
    gems74 Posts: 107 Member
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    I'm not vegan but I do enjoy some vegan recipes. Here's a link that I've tried several recipes from and absolutely love them.

    http://ohsheglows.com/
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
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    The above advice is great, especially B12 and D supplementation. Make sure to get variety in your diet, pay attention to your macros, and don't get hung up on labels. There are no vegan police and its okay if you eat 80% vegan, only eat meat on Thanksgiving, whatever. Don't beat yourself up because you decided to go vegan then eat cheese a couple days in. It's okay!! Diet changes take time and there is no right or wrong way to go about it.
  • Beautiful_Warrior94
    Beautiful_Warrior94 Posts: 197 Member
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    rbiss wrote: »
    The above advice is great, especially B12 and D supplementation. Make sure to get variety in your diet, pay attention to your macros, and don't get hung up on labels. There are no vegan police and its okay if you eat 80% vegan, only eat meat on Thanksgiving, whatever. Don't beat yourself up because you decided to go vegan then eat cheese a couple days in. It's okay!! Diet changes take time and there is no right or wrong way to go about it.

    Thank you so much for that reassurance. The other night my fiancé's mother made dinner for us. It had brown rice, cooked peppers, and tomato sauce along with beef chunks. I tried to scoop around the beef since thankfully she only put a little in it and managed to get around it without any. Just bugged me how she was like, "it's lean meat it's good for you" but for someone like me who gets physically sick from meat....no it's not good for me.

  • Beautiful_Warrior94
    Beautiful_Warrior94 Posts: 197 Member
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    Question as well. When going Vegan should we increase our food intake a little or keep it the same? I watched a how to go vegan video and the girl said to increase on your vegan days and don't continue having the same amount as when you were not vegan
  • TrickyDisco
    TrickyDisco Posts: 2,869 Member
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    When you cut meat and dairy out you replace them with alternatives but unless you're looking to gain weight you don't need to eat more in terms of calories. A calorie's a calorie. It might look like you've got more food on your plate because you're eating more veggies and alternative meals can be bulkier. Depends what you choose to eat though, a shop-bought soya mince pie and baked potato looks much like a shop-bought meat pie and baked potato (maybe similar in calories too) but something like a home-made dish of baked stuffed peppers and quinoa with extra veg could have a lower calorie count yet appear to be more food. I concentrate more on getting close to the carb, protein and fat levels mfp sets, fibre's usually over each day anyway.
  • bita4
    bita4 Posts: 4 Member
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    good luck on your journey,i know it can be difficult for people to understand, i wish you the best
  • myheartsabattleground
    myheartsabattleground Posts: 2,040 Member
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    http://authoritynutrition.com/top-5-reasons-why-vegan-diets-are-a-terrible-idea/
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
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    Thin_Beauty94 wrote: »
    Question as well. When going Vegan should we increase our food intake a little or keep it the same? I watched a how to go vegan video and the girl said to increase on your vegan days and don't continue having the same amount as when you were not vegan

    It's more about calories. If you are eating unprocessed whole foods, they generally contain less calories. A huge salad for me will have the same amount of calories or less than meat containing chili/lasagna/casserole. I would log everything and make sure to get in protein and fiber at each meal. If you are having trouble meeting your calorie goals, try adding some fat like peanut butter or avocados. Where I mess up is eating a crap ton of pasta cause it's easy and vegetarian! You can gain weight on any diet, so track the calories and listen to your body. When I went vegetarian many years ago, I felt so much better. I made an effort to eliminate the processed foods and I wanted to work out more. I really think just trying to eat better was the key and incorporating more whole plant foods. Good luck.

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